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STORE SERVICE SYSTEM.

Patented Feb-7. 1882.

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P. KENNELLY.' STORE SEEVISE SYSTEM,

No. 253,396. S I Patented Feb. 7.1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRI K KEN ELLY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR or ONE- THIRD TO HARRIS H. HAYD N, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STORE-SERVICE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,396, dated February '7, 1882.

Application filed March 20, 18 80. (No model.)

To all whom it may-concern Be it known that I, PATRICK KENNELLY, of Bridgeport, Fairfield county, Connecticut, have invented an Improved Store Service Structure, of which the following'isa specification.

My invention relates to that mode of transferring money between the cashier and salesmen of a store in which travelingcarriers move upon ways; and my invention consists in constructing the ways, carriers, and delivery devices, as described hereinafter, to improve and simplify the structure and insure the discharge of each carrier at its destination.

I 5 In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved ways as arranged in a store; Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view; Fig. 3, a plan showing a modification Fig. 4, an enlarged section of one form of way; Figs. 5 and 6, sections of ways of other forms Fig. 7, one of the standards; Fig. 8, a section of one of the carriers.

In carrying out my invention I use tubes or semi-tubes A, which may be suspended or sup- 2 5 ported in any suitable manner. The tubes are preferably rectangular, or square or V-shaped 'in cross-section, as in Figs. 4, 5, 7, one of the edges of the corners being the lowest portion, so as to'present two inclined sides as ways,on

0 which the carriers B may travel; but cylindrical tubes as shown in Fig. 6, may be used.

The carriers B are spheres, hollow and divided,or provided with caps, so that they may be opened to receive the money and then closed.

3 5 Thus each carrier may consist of two hollow semi-spheres, w 'w, hinged together, and one provided with a spring-catch, u, catching on a shoulder, 12, of the other, Fig. 8.

The tubes A are inclined to such an extent 40 that the spheres will roll along the same by gravity; but it will be apparentthat owing to the slight friction which must be overcome the I carriers will move freely with less inclination of the ways than when they are mounted upon 5 wheels, as heretofore. There is of course a delivery and a return tube to each desk'orcounter; but it is esseutialthat several counters be arranged so that each may make use of the same pair of tubes. A most convenient arrangement which I have devised is shown in Fig. 3, in which 0 is the cashiers desk, A the delivery-tube for carrying the spheres to the main desk, A the return-tube, and s s s s the different counters or stations. 7

From difl'erent points on the delivery-tube 5 5 extend lateral tubes A to a position accessible to each series of counters, with openings w, in which to deposit the carriers, and from points on the return-tube extend laterals A which are bent or curved to traverse all the counters, with delivering ports or chutes to each.

That each ball may reach automatically its proper destination when returned from the cashier, whatever form or arrangement of tubes may be employed, I make at the delivery-point an opening or gate of just sufficient size for the passage of the balls belonging to that counter, and of none of the others.

. The gate may be formed by cutting away the bottom part of the tube,formin g an elongated opening of such size that the ball may slip through, or by placing stop-pins or wings 6 so as to deflect to side openings the balls which strike them, but none others.

It will of course be requisite to place the most 7 5 contracted passage farthest from the desk, so that the smallest ball, which must travel the farthest, may pass all the larger openings.

- Where, however, the opening is at the bottom of the tube the smallest opening mustbe nearest the desk, so that the larger balls may pass over it to the more distant points.

By makingthetube of the cross-section shown in Fig. 5, with an inclined bottom, the balls are maintained normally at one s-ide,and by suitable means, such as described, any ball may be thrown to the other side through an opening therein.

Adjacent to each opening is a pocket or receptacle, w, for receiving the spheres as they 0 are discharged.

I do not confine myself to any special mode of supporting the tubes or ways. One which is effective and convenient is by means of standards T, having forked ends, adapted to receive 5 between them the sides of thetube or semi-tube.

I do not claim broadly the combination of inclined ways, carriers,-and automatic stops with the counters and deskof a store, thisbeing the invention of J. C. White, for which Letters Patent No. 250,025 were granted to said White, November 22, 1881; but

I claim 1. A way for a store-service apparatus, consisting of a tube or trough having graduated stops or passages adapted to discharge at dit': ferent points hollow'rolling carriers, substantially as set forth. I

2. The combination, in a store-service apparatus, of a main desk, series of counters, and two ways, each extending from the desk past all thecounters, one of the ways being provided with openings or stops arranged to arrest and discharge at their respective counters hollow rolling carriers running on said way, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a store-service apparatus, of a desk, series of counters, two Ways, extending each from said desk past all the counters,and a series of graduated hollow rollin g carriers and graduated stops, whereby each carrier is discharged from the way at the counter from which it was sent, substantially 2 5 as set forth.

4,. The combination, with a desk, series of counters, and the ways of a store-service systen1,of lateral or branch ways arranged to conduct the rolling carriers between the main way 0 and counters, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the trough or tube having openings, of pockets w, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name 5 to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PATRICK KENNELLY.

Witnesses:

DANIEL HAGGERTY, MICHAEL S. SHERIDAN. 

